At Home on the Range
North Dakota is known for its Scandinavian heritage and its domination by the Great Plains, but my guess is you don’t know much about it at all if you’re not from the area. Get to know it through the pages of books!
Is there a book you love and feel does a great job of highlighting its North Dakota setting? Send your suggestions and please don’t forget to tell me why you think that book is a good choice for this state. It doesn’t need to explicitly be about the state, only clearly set in it and written by someone who actually lived there. I have a bias towards books written by authors who are still living so that we can reflect more on today’s reality but I won’t turn down a classic if you make a good argument for it!
Books are in no order of preference. That they are on this list is not a reflection of my personal taste or even that I’ve read them — I want you to find what works for you. More to be added soon!
For the Love of North Dakota and Other Essays: Sundays with Clay in the Bismarck Tribune by Clay S. Jenkinson
Not available via Bookshop
Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 100 Reviews by Marilyn Hagerty, non-fiction / essays
The Horizontal World: Growing Up Wild in the Middle of Nowhere by Debra Marquart, memoir
Prairie Silence: a Memoir by Melanie Hoffert
The Round House by Louise Erdich, literary fiction
Purchase via Bookshop to support independent bookstores.
Purchase via Amazon? Links coming soon.
Photo credit: Erick Zajac